They Are
by misaoshiru
Summary: What, really, is the question that we all must ask ourselves? It isn't To be, or not to be? It's more along the lines of What to be? [Themed drabbles 10. Kenshin and Kaoru]
1. Shinta

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, and I never will. Sorry. Please don't sue. No profit is being made off of this fic.

"Shinta"

_(Himura village, 1858)_

The small redheaded boy sat next to his father as the two of them took a break from hard-but-rewarding farm work. "Tousan?" asked the boy after sipping some cool water from a ceramic cup his mother had brought out to them.

"Yes, Shinta?"

"When I grow up, I want to be a samurai and protect people and stuff. Do you think I could do it?"

"Of course, Shinta," the man said, ruffling his son's hair. "You'd be good at it." He hadn't the heart to tell the boy that there was little chance of a farmer's son becoming anything so glamorous. It could wait until the boy was old enough to take it.

しんた

_(Kyoto, 1863)_

The assassin known as Hitokiri Battousai easily sliced through the night's routine target, leaving behind the trademark note labeled with the kanji for "Tenchuu." 'It is ironic, isn't it…' he thought to himself, chuckling darkly.

しんた

End "Shinta"

MS's notes  
Call it writing practice. Chapters will be posted in the order they are written in. This could get addictive… Note: These aren't exactly going to be formal drabbles, so don't expect them to each be exactly 100 words long. They'll most likely be somewhere between 100 and 200 words in length; this one, for example, is around 150 words long. The scene breaks in this chapter are the hiragana for the name "Shinta". I don't know the kanji it would be written with, otherwise I'd have used them. 


	2. Battousai

Note: If you've already read this drabble, there's no need to read it again. All that I changed was one scene break at the bottom.

"Battousai"

_(Kyoto, 1863)_

About thirty minutes had passed since dawn. Himura Kenshin had been awake for as long. He was currently helping the Kohagi inn's staff to prepare breakfast, as he'd actually managed to get a full night's sleep for once. "Himura-chan, mind telling me what you are thinking about?" Okami asked, breaking the silence.

"Huh?"

"You seemed to be deep in thought, and I was wondering what about."

"Oh, umm... I was just wondering about something. Okami-san, do you think that my family would be proud of who…of what I am now?"

She wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders in a somewhat motherly manner. "I'm sure they would. And anyway, there's no way to change the past now. What's done is done, and though I don't approve of the job Katsura has given a boy your age, there's no way to change the past. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you."

"You're right. Thanks, Okami-san."

人軌り抜刀斎

End "Battousai"

* * *

MS's notes  
The scene break at the end reads "Hitokiri Battousai". I'm extremely greatful to Viz for having the characters' name kanji in their profiles at the beginning of each volume! XD 'Course, they only have profiles for the more important characters, but still... 

In the last chapter, I forgot to mention the influences behind it. The first drabble was inspired by Night-Mare-Chan's "Shoukaittou: Song of the Sword." This one, on the other hand, was based on the scenes of interaction between Kenshin and Okami in Conspirator's "Descent into Madness." Next chapter: Kaoru-chan. Coming soon to a near you. XD


	3. Kaoru

"Kaoru"

_(Edo/Tokyo, 1868)_

A small girl sat next to an unfolded futon, on which a woman was lying. "Mama, you'll be okay, I know you will!" the young girl said assuredly, in the optimistic way only a child can be.

The woman coughed. "I hope so, Kaoru-chan. I want to live long enough to see you grow. I'm sure, though, that you'll become a fine lady."

Kaoru thought over this momentarily, then said, "I want to be like Daddy when I grow up, and I wanna learn Kamiya 'shin-ryuu. Then I'll be a good person, right, Mama? 'Cuz Daddy's a good person."

"Kaoru-chan…" The prim, reserved woman frowned. "Yes, your father's a great person, but I don't know--"

"Momma, I'm gonna do it! I don't care if it's 'not proper for a lady' or whatever! But I also want to make you and Tousan proud, 'kay?"

"Kaoru…" she smiled. "I'll always be proud of you, no matter what."

薫

_(Tokyo, 1878)_

Kamiya Kaoru, shihondai of the Kamiya Kasshin-ryuu, was currently glaring daggers at the strange "rurouni" who she had stopped on the road because she was suspicious about his sword, and who was now physically carrying her back to _her_ family's dojo. 'Who does he think he is!'

Invisible to her, an ephemeral figure watched the scene, lightly chuckling. 'That's my Kaoru-chan…'

薫

End "Kaoru"

* * *

MS's notes  
Unlike the others, I can't really think of anything that this one was influenced by other than the actual manga. It also somewhat parallels the first two. Next drabble: "Rurouni", assuming I can actually manage to write it. I'm currently a bit stuck. 


	4. Kaoru and Kenshin

"Kaoru and Kenshin"

_(Tokyo, 1878) _

Kenshin knelt in the warm grass of the Kamiya dojo's yard, repeating the familiar motion of washing clothing. It was late summer, and that day was particularly hot, the sun beating down hard on his back, but Kenshin didn't mind. He had no right to mind, he told himself; he had to work to earn his keep. It wasn't that he was afraid of invoking Kaoru's wrath; he just couldn't stand the thought of making Kaoru work in the sun. They'd already put off the laundry as long as they could, and it had to get done somehow. It would be best if he did it himself.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru called, coming out to where he was. She was wearing her lightest summer yukata with the sleeves tied back, but even then, she looked like she was getting hot. "You know, I can do the rest of the laundry for you if you want. Why don't you go inside and do the dishes or something?"

"No, it's fine, Kaoru-dono," he tried to reassure her. Why was she going out of her way to help him? She always did that, and it bothered him to no end. "Really, sessha has it under control; there's no need for you to worry."

"Damn it! Kenshin, you don't get it, do you? You're always like this. I want to help you, but you never let me. You're always doing things for people, but why can't you let anyone return the favor?"

The silence lay heavily over the two of them. They both realized that there was more at stake here than dirty laundry on a hot day. Finally, Kenshin said, "I just don't want…"

"I can take care of myself, you know. I am shihondai of the Kamiya Kasshin-ryuu, after all. A little sun isn't enough to bother me."

"But…" Kenshin's gaze softened, and he nodded. "This one will go do dishes, then. Oh, and…Thank you, Kaoru-dono." Kaoru smiled back as he went inside.

薫と剣心

End "Kaoru and Kenshin"

* * *

MS's notes

Bit long for a drabble… Oh well. It still follows the same general idea as the others. I know I meant to do "Rurouni" for this one, but it's Super Sheba's birthday, so I wanted to try for some K/K instead. Happy birthday, SS!

P.S.: Scene break reads "Kaoru to Kenshin", which translates to "Kaoru and Kenshin".


	5. Rurouni

Warning: angst ahead. XD

"Rurouni"

_(Some rural part of Japan, 1870)_

The clearing was quiet and still, save for the flies buzzing around. A silent man looked upon the scene with eyes widened from shock. His hand slackened its grip on the small bag he carried his few belongings in, letting it fall to the ground. This was a familiar sight to him, but that left him no comfort. 'It's the same…why?'

There had been a massacre in this deceptively serene place. Bodies of men, women, and even children lay sprawled in the clearing in pools of blood. Visions of the past flooded through the onlooker's mind, visions of three women giving up their lives for the sake of one small boy, of the same boy in a field filled with graves.

Ransacked boxes and crates littered the grass surrounding the dead. It was obvious who had killed these people, and it angered the man. Bandits. They had left a clear trail, so it wouldn't be hard to find them. He could track them down; it would be easy, he thought to himself, and he could get these people's revenge for them. He would just hunt them down, and then he'd…

He stopped. If he still struggled from thoughts like this, from the bloodlust of a killer, what had ever made him thought he could change. He was still a killer, and that's all he ever would be. Just what was it that made him any better than the bandits that angered him so? A cloud drifted in front of the sun, shadowing the still clearing, and the tears poured down like rain.

るろうに

End "Rurouni

* * *

MS's notes:

Depressing, isn't it… XD What's kind of scary is that I started writing this during church… O.o Thanks for your reviews, guys; I really enjoy hearing from you. This drabble was inspired by and based on a scene in Hakubaikou's "Against a Sea of Troubles." Great fanfic, by the way. Next drabble: Wait and see. ;)


	6. Battousai II

Well, I was going to attempt to do a humorous interlude thing for this chapter. I wrote it out and everything, but when I look back on it, it sucked. It really wasn't funny at all. So I basically decided to trash it and go on with this one instead and give it another try later on. So here goes.

Warning: Angst.

* * *

"Battousai II"(Alternate title: "Why?") 

_(Kyoto, 1863)_

Daikan Shukumei's bodyguards were leading him home from a meeting with a few of his fellow government officials. The night had gone well, he thought, and aside from one of his guards claiming to have seen a flash of red, – Daikan had dismissed it as just a trick of the tired soldier's imagination – the return trip had been relatively uneventful. But then… A small figure suddenly appeared before them. "Daikan Shukumei," the stranger said without a hint of emotion, "I have come to deliver Tenchuu." _Heaven's justice._

"Who–" Shukumei began to ask, but the two guards lay dead on the ground before the older man could say another word.

The assassin landed in a crouch, immediately sheathing his sword and dropping into a stance even an inexperienced swordsman like Shukumei could recognize: that of Battoujutsu. The official studied his opponent's features, which were more visible under the full moon's light in the hitokiri's new position. He had eyes a strange mix of amber and violet on a slightly rounded, youthful face framed by a long red ponytail tied at the top of his head. "I'm sorry," the teenager spoke softly, pulling the sword from its sheath with lightning-fast speed and slashing Shukumei across the chest.

"Why?" the man asked softly as he lay sprawled on the ground, his blood mixing with the moist dirt of the alley to form a reddish brown sludge smelling of copper.

The Hitokiri Battousai turned away, unable to answer the dying man's question.

なぜ

Himura Kenshin was unable to sleep that night…

なぜ

End "Battousai II"

MS's Notes

なぜ written in romaji is "naze," which means "why." Beginning to see a theme here? XD

Sorry for the delay. My uncle died last week, so things have been pretty hectic recently, and I've been kinda stressed. But the next chapter's written already. I just have to type it, and then I can post it. Seeya.


	7. Shinta II

This one isn't particularly angsty, but misaoshiru does prove that she has a working sense of irony. XD

* * *

"Shinta II" (Alternate title: "Never") 

Young Shinta was walking to the marketplace with his father, trying to match his longer stride. Suddenly, his father stopped, staring at something along the side of the road. "Tousan?" Shinta asked, pulling gently on his father's hakama and following his gaze. Flies swarmed around the body of a peasant with a large gash across his chest. "…How'd he die?"

"I'm not sure, Shinta-chan. Perhaps he angered a samurai."

"Why would anyone do something like that? He can't have done anything bad enough to deserve death."

"Shinta-chan…are you sure you want to become a samurai? Sometimes they have to kill people. Even if someone is bad, it's still wrong to kill them."

"I'm sure. But I'll only help people, Tousan. I'll never kill anyone. Never."

His father gently ruffled his hair, saying, "Good to hear." And with that, the man continued on to the marketplace, innocently followed by the child who would one day become the infamous killer Hitokiri Battousai.

決して

End "Shinta II"

* * *

MS's Notes

決して – "kesshite" – "never," though I'll bet everyone saw that coming a mile away. I should be able to post the next one either tonight or tomorrow morning. Seeya.


	8. Akane, Kasumi, and Sakura

This one is in the first person because I felt like writing it like that. If it bothers you, oh well.

"Akane, Kasumi, and Sakura" (Alternate title: "Destiny")

Shinta…my sisters and I greatly enjoyed our time with you, brief as it was. But don't mourn us. We've had a chance to live and make our mistakes. Please understand. I'm not suicidal; I _want_ to continue with life, but I have no real choice. All that I can do is give my life in your place. Maybe some kind-hearted ronin will come and save you, or maybe you can run away quickly enough to find a place to hide, a way to escape. Perhaps you can play dead and hide among the bodies until they leave. But no matter what, you must live! We would be naught but slaves, prostitutes, but I know you're destined for more than that. You will accomplish much, one day. Goodbye, Shinta.

_We'll always watch over you._

運命

End "Akane, Kasumi, and Sakura"

* * *

MS's notes:

The kanji used in the scene break mean "destiny." But you've probably guessed that already.

There will be a few changes in the format from now on. First of all, as you've probably noticed in this one, I dropped the setting description. I just grew tired of looking for ways to say where it is set when it's not in a city and wracking my brain trying to decide when it would be set. Also, starting with the next drabble, the titles will not be the names of the characters involved. Instead, they will be more like the alternate titles we have now. Make any sense? I hope so. XD

Ack! The author's notes are about as long as the actual drabble now, so I'm going to shut up. See you next time.


	9. Yoshida

This one is themed around a character from Conspirator's awesome fic, "Descent Into Madness". I wrote it because Yoshida's just cool. If you haven't read Conspirator's fic, go do so, now! I can only dream that my writing will one day be as good as hers. XD

**Kizu**

Yoshida had learned a lot about medicine in the past year living with his new wife, the village doctor's daughter. But nothing he'd ever experienced prepared him for this. A man was carried into the clinic with a severe cut near the wrist. His arms were crisscrossed with similar scars, so this clearly wasn't the first time that this had occurred, just the worst. The doctor took a look at the arm and quickly got to work, disinfecting the wound and stitching it up. "Is he going to make it?" Yoshida asked quietly.

"Well…he'll survive this wound, I'm sure, but from these scars, you can tell he has a wound to the heart that's worse. As unfortunate as it is, modern medicine can't cure those. They can only heal on their own, if the victim's lucky."

Yoshida watched silently, his thoughts drawn to his young redheaded friend in Kyoto.

傷

End "Kizu"

* * *

Author's notes:

So, uh…been a while, hasn't it? XD Sorry, I had writer's block. The good news is that my birthday was the fourth, so I'm officially sixteen now:grin:

Now, to answer the question on everyone's minds. Would a late-19th century Japanese man turn to cutting in attempted suicide? I really don't know. XD Obviously, a former or current soldier would be more likely to perform ritual suicide, but what of a poor peasant whose hit hard times? Well, he'd probably jump off a bridge or something... XD But assuming there was no suitable bridge nearby? I know it's a bit of a stretch, but I chose cutting because it's one of the more visual methods. Thus it suited the drabble best.

One last thing: You won't have to wait as long for the next few drabbles! I wrote three of them last night. XD Expect those in the next few days.


	10. Kenshin and Kaoru

**Hotaru**

The fireflies darted merrily across the night sky, chasing each other about and likely having a grand time. One, however, was fluttering on its own, the others not seeming to notice it. But, Kenshin thought, even in its loneliness, it still seemed to have an odd strength to it. Then again, maybe his tired mind was just playing tricks on him. Still… "I'll call you 'Kaoru'," he said as he watched it.

"Kenshin!" the human Kaoru called, and as he turned to answer, he couldn't help thinking that that one firefly looked so much more beautiful to him than the others.

ほたる

End 'Hotaru'

* * *

Author's notes:

Wow…never thought I'd get this many reviews for this project, seeing as how I'm really only writing these for practice. I wish I could thank you all personally, but given the recent strictness here at ffdotnet, I'd rather not risk it. So I'll just give out a general thanks to Pinay Tiger, Super Sheba, Nekotsuki, Kean, Co-Conspirator, Skenshingumi, Rockyrml, and omasuoniwabanshi. I'd also like to thank any shadow readers out there too lazy to leave a review. That means you, Chi-chan. ;) Finally, thanks to anyone who's still reading for bearing with me thus far, even through delays. See you next drabble. :smile:


End file.
